HONDURAS' IMPORTING GUIDELINES

Entry Procedures

Honduras Customs Service conducts 90% of all trade through Puerto Cortes, La Mesa (in San Pedro Sula) and Toncontin (in Tegucigalpa). All paperwork is done by a customs broker with the proper legal operation license. Import permits are required for all imports in excess of L.1,000 and are issued by the External Financing Department of the Central Bank (DERFE).

Documentation

The following documentation is necessary:

Commercial Invoice

Packing List

Bill of Lading or Air Waybill

Import/Export Documentation (by customs broker)

C.A. Export Declaration

Value Declaration

Health and Sanitary Certificates (when required)

Tariff Classification

Tariff classification is based on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System generally referred to as the Harmonized System.

Valuation

Imported items are subject to an ad valorem duty based on the CIF value of the item.

Tariff Ranges and Charges

As a member of the System of Central American Integration (formerly Central American Common

Market - CACM comprised of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras)

Honduras has a common external tariff schedule in which customs duties range from a maximum of 20% ad valorem with a minimum tariff of 5%, with certain exceptions including apparel.There are additional taxes in addition to the ad valorem or CIF duties, including: (a) 5% on raw materials and 10% on manufactured products; (b) 20% surcharge on all imported goods, with the exceptions of medicines, serums, powdered mild, vaccines, basic grains, seeds, fertilizer, fungicides and cattle; and (c) 5% on all imports to cover administrative customs services.The Import Declaration includes a L50.00 Honduran lampiras form fee. A handling fee of L0.05 per kilogram is also included.

Customs warehouse charges are obligatory after one month use.Other charges include a 7% sales tax, a 3% administration charge, and a 30% tax on selected luxury items.

Temporary Entry

The temporary entry law allows exporters to introduce raw materials, parts, and capital equipment into Honduran territory without payment of customs duties or consular fees when the final product of the process is exported outside Central America. The law also provides a ten- year tax holiday on profits from these exports.Companies that do not operate in free trade zones or export processing zones fall under the jurisdiction of the Temporary Import Law.

Free Trade Zones and Warehouses

The principal free trade zone in Honduras is located in Puerto Cortes and is operated by the Government of Honduras through the National Port Authority. Privatelyowned free trade zones are legal extensions of the free trade zones. In addition, individual companies may obtain the benefits of free trade zone status if they are located in specially designated areas.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Labeling, Marking, and Packaging Requirements

There are no special requirements regarding the marking of country of origin of goods or the labeling of general merchandise. There are, however, labeling requirements for some food stuffs and pharmaceuticals.

INCENTIVES

Honduras'Trade Agreements and Preferences

As a beneficiary of both the CBI and Generalized System of Preferences, most of exports enjoy duty-fee entry into the U.S. The major products exempt from CBI preferences are textiles, apparel, watches and petroleum products.

Under the CACM (Central American Common Market), Honduras applies a common external tariff ranging from 5 - 20% on most products of non-CACM origin. In addition, Honduras receives duty-free access to the markets of other CACM countries for most products.

CUSTOMS CONTACT

Direccion General de Aduanas (Customs)

Avenue Juan Lindo No. 524

Colonia Palmira

Tegucigalpa

Phone: 38-2538, ext. 117

Fax: 38-2621

For more information see the web site:

http://americas.fiu.edu/customs/honduras.htm

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